While the state scored high and low on a wide range of topics — including 10 points lost for lack of data systems to improve education — one 5-point answer was answered in error.

The state received nearly full points for its answer on the identical question on the application submitted for the first round of funding by the Corzine administration.

Here's a look at the question and answer, as well as the comments from reviewer's grading sheets, obtained Tuesday by The Star-Ledger and expected to be released today by the U.S. Department of Education.

Q:The extent to which—
(i) The percentage of the total revenues available to the State (as defined in this notice) that were used to support elementary, secondary, and public higher education for FY 2009 was greater than or equal to the percentage of the total revenues available to the State (as defined in this notice) that were used to support elementary, secondary, and public higher education for FY 2008

A: (i) EDUCATION SPENDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF STATE SPENDING
In fiscal year 2011, despite huge budget strains, the Governor is proposing an increase in state revenue-based support for education by 2.2% ($238 million). As proposed, preschool-12 education spending as a percentage of the state budget will be 35.4%. Federal ARRA funding will not be available to school districts in FY 2011, but the Governor and the executive team remain committed to funding education even as state revenue-based support for most other areas of state spending has been cut. This demonstrates that, despite severe fiscal challenges, the leadership in the state of New Jersey remains committed to education.

New Jersey received 0.2 of a possible 5 points for the answer in the second round. The Race to the Top applications were graded by five reviewers and averaged for a final score.

Four of the five reviewers gave New Jersey 0 points on the question for failing to provide the correct years. The state missed the cutoff for funding by 3 points.

The full scoresheets and grades, obtained Tuesday by The Star-Ledger, are expected to be released today. Here are the reviewers grades and comments for the flubbed question:

Reviewer 1 - 1 of 5

The proposal asks the state to compare education spending in 2008 and 2009 which NJ doesn't do. NJ proposes a 2.2 percent increase for education spending in 2011.

Reviewer 2 - 0 of 5
New Jersey did not supply the 2008-2009 data as required and therefore forfeits the points. The 2011 appropriation request does not meet this requirement.

Reviewer 3 - 0 of 5
Evidence provided for FY2011 indicates that state support for education, as a proportion of overall state funding, will increase. However, the state did not provide information about funding levels for FY2008 and FY2009, as required in the application criterion. Therefore this response earns no points for this criterion.

Reviewer 4 - 0 of 5
New Jersey reported that the 2011 budget proportion of state expenditures devoted to education in New Jersey will increase by 2.2% but the application called for addressing changes from 2008 to 2009 so zero points were awarded for F(2)(i).

Reviewer 5 - 0 of 5
The Governor states that despite enormous budget challenges, New Jersey increased the funds to public schools in 2010. The narrative states that the State is proposing an increase of 2.2% for 2011, but the evidence asked for was the actual increase for 2008-2009. The percentage of the state budget proposed for education funding certainly seems adequate, but how this percentage compares with that of previous years was not included. Because the evidence required was not presented, no points are awarded.

The same question appeared on the first-round application, submitted by the Corzine administration on the deadline on Jan. 19, which was, coincidentally, the day of Christie's inauguration. New Jersey did not make the list of 16 finalists that time around, when two winners were announced in March.

Here was the answer on that application:

(i) EDUCATION SPENDING AS A PERCENTAGE OF STATE SPENDING
New Jersey increased its percentage of spending on education from 36.9% in 2008 to 39.6% in 2009. Nominal education appropriations decreased by 4.7%, from $12.0B to $11.5B, a decline that was smaller than the 11.3% decline in total State appropriations from $32.6B to $28.9B.

The answer was part of a joint question that received 9.6 out of 10 points in the first round. The same joint scoring in the second round received 3.4 out of 10 points, including 0.2 points out of 5 for the question listed above. The scores were not broken out as fully in the first round as the second.

Christie spokesman Maria Comella noted that the state’s first-round application was not selected as a finalist. This time, it was one of 16 finalists.

"This was a strong, comprehensive package of reforms that received praise from the fedearal Department of Education," she said of the latest application. "There were a lot of good, strong applications from competitive states."